Manipur okays ₹10L incentive for Tokyo Olympics-bound weightlifter Mirabai Chanu

Last week, chief minister N Biren Singh congratulated world champion weightlifter Mirabai Chanu for her entry into the Tokyo Olympics, scheduled to begin next month

The Manipur Cabinet decided to extend a onetime cash incentive of ₹10 lakh to Tokyo Olympics-bound weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu.

Saikhom Mirabai Chanu. (Getty Images)

The meeting was chaired by chief minister N Biren Singh and attended by deputy chief minister Yumnam Joykumar Singh and works minister Th Biswajit Singh.The state chief secretary Dr Rajesh Kumar and principal secretary (health & family welfare) V Vumlunmang were also present during the meeting.

Last week, chief minister N Biren Singh congratulated world champion weightlifter Mirabai Chanu for her entry into the Tokyo Olympics, scheduled to begin next month.

Sharing a photo of Mirabai on his Twitter account on June 13, Singh wrote, “Hearty congratulations to our daughter Mirabai Chanu on qualifying for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics in Women’s 49 Kg category. Mirabai Chanu has been ranked 2nd in the International Weightlifting Federation’s Absolute Ranking List in the 49 Kg category. May your hard work and dedication bring laurels to the country.”

Mirabai Chanu is India’s lone entry into the Tokyo Olympics--the former world champion placed second in the women’s 49kg Absolute Ranking released by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). Mirabai Chanu gathered 4133,6172 Robi points to come in second behind Chinese national Hou Zhihui (4926, 4422) in the rankings published by IWF recently.

Mirabai – who lifted a total of 205kg, including a world record of 119 kg in clean and jerk, to secure a bronze medal in the Asian championships in April – is considered a strong medal prospect in the Olympics. She is training in the USA at present.